It wasn’t a bad season for Ferrari, in other non-championship events Mario Andretti won the Questor GP at Ontario Speedway and Jacky Ickx the Jochen Rindt Trophy at Hockenheim. In the more serious stuff the same pair won in South Africa, Kyalami and Holland, Zandvoort respectively.

It was a Tyrrell year though, the new marque won six races- Stewart 5, and Cevert 1 in a season which demonstrated the organisation and commercial acumen of Ken Tyrrell, the design prowess of Derek Gardner, and the power, torque and reliability of the still youthful, ubiquitous Ford Cosworth DFV 3 litre V8. Let’s not forget the talent of the two drivers, Stewart at his peak and Cevert on the ascent.

Regga during the race, Ferrari 312B2 (Getty)

In terms of arcane minutae it appears to be right at the time the charismatic Swiss considered and switched from his old-school Bell Magnum to a full-face Bell Star helmet- he certainly raced at Brands with the ‘Star albeit without his distinctive trademark red on white band and cross.

Regga with his brand new Bell Star helmet, Brands 1971, note the top of the front rockers (unattributed)

Mario Andretti psyches himself up before a practice session in his Ferrari 312B2 prior to the 1972 Italian Grand Prix…

Andretti qualified the Ferrari 7th and finished 7th, teammates Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni proved the cars pace by popping the car on pole and 4th.

Andretti, Ferrari 312B2, Monza 1972 (Schlegelmilch)

Jacky lead the race after Clay Regazzoni’s car clipped the back of Carlos Pace’ March when the latter spun at the Vialone chicane. Ickx snuck back into the lead only to lose it when the Flat-12 failed; Fittipaldo took the win and title in his Lotus 72D Ford.

The Ferrari 312B2 made its debut in Monaco GP 1972, it was a new car rather than a development of the original car for which the Ferrari 3 litre flat-12 was designed, the 1970 312B.

Said engine had a shorter stroke, aimed to increase revs and thereby increase power. The nose cone was low and squarish, the flanks more straight than the rounded shape of the earlier cars, and the rear wing attached to an appendage of the roll-bar.

The rear suspension was redesigned with twin struts and spring/damper groups mounted above the gearbox and connected to the hub with tubular arms. The aim was to reduce unsprung weight. The coil spring-shocks were shifted towards the centre of the car above the gearbox. The car remained a handful as drivers struggled with the handling in combination with the Firestone tyres, a continuation of some of the problems of 1971.

Andretti’s 312B2 on the way to 4th place in the 1971 German GP, Stewart won in Tyrrell 003 Ford (unattributed)

Ferrari were struggling with direction at the time after several difficult years, the situation climaxed halfway through 1973 when Luca Di Montezemolo was brought in from Fiat to sort things and provide clear leadership.

312B2 wasn’t a great Ferrari, Jacky Ickx able to scored just a single win with the B2 in 197, the Dutch GP at Zandvoort in rainy conditions whilst teammate Clay Regazzoni placed 3rd twice.

In 1972 Ickx only won the German GP, despite 4 poles. Despite the disappointing results, It raced on into 1973came in action in 1973, Merzario scored 4th at Kyalami before the B3 appeared, a lousy car. with Ickx decamping prior to the German GP…The teams resurgence began with the 1974 B3 variant and the powerful Lauda, Montezemolo, Forghieri cocktail.